An FO for Project Linus

I finished the above baby afghan this weekend and will be donating it to the Tucson Chapter of Project Linus as soon as I finish this one below.

The completed afghan is from one of the patterns the national organization has on its website. It is called Sideways Shell Baby Afghan. I made it with Caron One Pound yarn in the Soft Sage colorway, using a size H (5mm) crochet hook. It worked up quickly and I would definitely make another some time.

The just started blanket is called Garter Stitch Ruffles Baby Blanket and can be found here on the Knitting on the Net website. I am making it with the same yarn as the previous one using size 13 (9mm) and size 3 (3.25mm) circular needles. I will have enough of this yarn in my stash to make one more blanket. I am happy to be using up the yarn and to have the opportunity to donate to such a worthwhile organization.

Roving, Roving, Who's Got the Roving?

Me! That's who. I posted a wish list in the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry and asked for a small amount of roving to practice spinning with my drop spindle. Two phenomenally generous Ravelers sent me all this:

Big thank yous to franspun and songdeva. People like them are a large part of what makes Ravelry a true community. Now I have no excuse for not getting started on making some yarn with my drop spindle.

A Ball of Yarn, Some Needles, and My iPod

That's all I need to achieve a state of complete bliss. Knitting or crocheting alone induces a feeling of serenity in me, but with the addition of some music or a podcast, I truly experience Nirvana. The other day I was able to sustain this experience for almost two hours of continuous knitting. In that time I was able to finish the toe of the first sock below, cast on for the second sock, finish the cuff, and proceed to the leg. Pretty amazing considering these are only the second pair of socks I will have knit.


These are the Magic Stripes Socks from Ann Budd's book Getting Started Knitting Socks. I started out knitting them for me, but soon realized they were going to be too big. I knitted a gauge swatch which came out just right for my size, but somehow they fit my husband's size 13 feet perfectly. Go figure! He's happy and so therefore am I.

I started out listening to Santana, then Acoustic Alchemy, and finished with Loreena McKennitt. I have very eclectic musical tastes and this combination really did it for me that day. Click on the links to hear some of what I was listening to. I will see if it works again another time or maybe tune in to one of my favorite podcasts. I'm willing to experiment, if it helps the process along.

Mind Games and New Projects

One of my mental activities in retirement is the solving of cryptograms. My local Sunday paper has one every week, but I craved more. I found this online source of weekly cryptograms--usually about 10 a week. I'm really addicted to these.

I mentioned starting a new freeform project last week. I am embellishing some house slippers for me. I am adapting some patterns I found in Margaret Hubert's pamphlet published by Annie's Attic, Fun with Free-Form Crochet. It is a good way to use up some of my yarns from The Think Pink Challenge and The Pink Project. I work on it at odd moments. It is both relaxing and fun.

Another new project has actually been on the back burner for some time. I promised my daughter I would make her a new afghan to replace one that had been too damaged to repair. I've had the yarn for a year or more. I finally have finished enough of my WIPs to feel ready to proceed with a larger project, so started last night. I am using Lion Brand Homespun and one of their free patterns for a Log Cabin Afghan--size K (6.5mm)hook. I like the pattern and it is very easy, but the yarn is a bit finicky to work with as it catches on the loops I'm trying to pull through. Hopefully, as I get more used to working the pattern, I will improve my technique.

Summer in Arizona

The thirsty earth frowns

At the sun's scorching embrace;

Monsoons will bring smiles.

My haiku above was inspired by a post of Robyn's the other day and the recent comments of local weatherpersons about the approaching monsoon season in Arizona. Technically they should be referred to as monsoon thunderstorms and the season is usually from July through September, but the timing is more dependent upon the dewpoint than the calendar. As the weather heats up here in the Southwest and the landscape turns dry and brown, we begin to long for the rainy season. More information on this interesting meteorological phenomena can be found at this Arizona State University website.

Promises Kept and a Lovely Surprise

It's getting very close to the end of this week and I did promise myself I'd post three times each week for at least a month. Luckily for me, I have kept some other promises this week so I have something to post.

Sometime in 2006 (very vague, I know, but it's been so long I forget exactly when) I bought some Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool to make a pillow for my daughter. What with getting ready to move and then actually moving, I'm afraid this little project was sadly neglected. I did manage to work on it some while visiting in Virginia this April and now have completely finished it. This was my first cable project, but I enjoyed it so much I know it won't be my last. The pattern was from a booklet of one skein projects and that is all it took. The pattern is called Twists 'n' Turns Pillow and the needle size is 9 (5.5 mm).


I purchased some recycled sari silk yarn not long ago from a sock knitting buddy because I’ve always wanted to work with it, and decided it was just the yarn to use to make a scarf for my daughter. She just recently graduated from a seven month long course in massage therapy and I wanted to make her something special to celebrate the occasion. I spent the better part of a day trying out different patterns and needle sizes. Finally, I modified a Lion Brand Pattern for a Drop Stitch Scarf . I used a size 11 (8mm) needle instead of a 19 (15mm) and cast on 16 stitches rather than 8. To add a bit of pizzazz I added a fringe with beads. She knows about the pillow, but the scarf is a surprise--hope she likes it!

And speaking of surprises, I received a wonderful package in the mail the other day from a lovely lady in one of the groups I belong to on Ravelry--the Random Acts of Kindness group. She had messaged me that she had an owl thingy she was sending me for my collection, but when the box arrived it also contained some roving for my new interest in spinning and some teas. Such generosity!

Long Time No Blog

Why has it been over a month since I last blogged? I can think of lots of excuses:

1. We were in California with no access to a computer for 10 days;
2. Since returning home I've been very busy catching up on things neglected while we were away;
3. I've been very focused on finishing a number of knitting/crochet projects;
4. I've been reading several books for the book clubs I'm in.

However, in all honesty, I'm not sure that any of those reasons is really accurate. No matter, I'm resolving right now to post at least 3 times a week for the next month. We'll see if that goal will keep me motivated.

The weather for the last week has been extreme. First it warmed up to almost 100 degrees for several days and then the winds came. It is frequently windy here, but these were the most ferocious, sustained winds we've had since moving here last July. I could hardly stand up in the gusts and we lost one tree--snapped the top off. D says he thinks it was weak in that spot, but it hurts like losing a friend. We battled the winds several days ago to stake two of our trees and are hoping they will be okay. The bark on one seems to have received some damage, but only time will tell.

We are still enjoying the blossoming of trees and cactus despite the winds. Here are a few more photos from the back yard.

One of the Kidneywood trees by the back gate

Prickly Pear we rescued after last year's monsoons

And finally, another FO--my scrumbles for The Pink Project in support of breast cancer research. I mailed them Friday to Prudence Mapstone in Australia. They were a challenge, as I'm new to freeform, but I really enjoyed making them. I feel more satisfied with these than the ones I made for The Think Pink Challenge for Jenny Dowde. In fact, I've begun a small project of my own now in freeform crochet. I'm embellishing some slippers using some of the pink yarn bought for The Pink Project.